READY, SET, SCHOOL: REMOVING BARRIERS, ONE BACKPACK AT A TIME In a bid to eliminate hidden costs and reduce waste, the district recently launched the Ready, Set, School initiative—a project designed to eliminate school supply fees for families, starting with all district preschool students and those at Talahi Community School. Thanks to a generous donor and support from the St. Cloud Rotaract Club, families receive fully stocked supply kits that support classroom readiness from day one. The goal is to expand this effort districtwide in future years. “Too often, the cost of school supplies is a barrier for families,” Putnam notes. “We’re removing that obstacle while also teaching students the value of sustainability and resource stewardship.” NATIONAL RECOGNITION AND A MODEL FOR THE STATE The Minnesota Department of Education recently 402 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 09
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTI5MjAx